Green Lemonade

Take a moment this weekend and try a fresh young coconut. If you’ve never had a fresh young coconut (they are nothing like those older dark brown coconuts), get ready for a true treat from nature. Young coconuts have a green shell, they are full of juice and contain a tender, sweet white meat. You can find them readily at health food stores and Whole Foods. They are not difficult to open.

Slurp out the delicious young coconut juice on it’s own, or combine the juice and the tender white meat in your blender for a creamy, frothy milkshake. After your first taste, you will wonder why no one has introduced you to this fabulousness sooner.

Raw fats are an essential component of good health

Despite fat’s bad reputation, raw fats are one of the essential components of optimum health and longevity. Young coconuts along with other raw fats including avocados, cold-pressed oils, nuts and seeds are important components of brain function, immunity, hormonal balance, and reproductive health.

Where to buy young coconuts

Young, pre-shaved young coconuts with their hard outer green shells removed can be found in most grocery stores today in the produce section. You will find them with a white exterior wrapped in saran wrap. While I would love to buy these young coconuts organically, they are very expensive (~$10-$15 a coconut) and so this is one instance where I go with the “thick shell” argument and enjoy the non-organic ones in the grocery store for $2-$3 each. If you live near Chinatown in New York, you can often find them for even cheaper.



This is a fun little look at how these young coconuts evolve in appearance from their natural habitat to a store near you.

How to open a young coconut

Learn how to open a young coconut here. You won’t believe how easy it is. No cleaver involved.

Fresh Coconut Milk

Serving Size: 1

Directions

Safely open your young coconut. Check out how to do it here.

Place the coconut meat (~1/2 cup total) in a blender with ½ cup of the coconut water. (There is about 1 1/2 cups of coconut water in a young coconut.) Blend.

Add more fresh coconut water if desired to reach your desired consistency. I personally like my coconut milk almost like a milkshake – thick and creamy. Enjoy any leftover coconut water on it’s own. (It’s tremendous.) Add a touch of agave nectar and cinnamon if you choose. You might also consider adding in a few slices of banana or a few fresh dates in the future as well! Then, sit back and smile.

This drink is bliss!